A Genius Trick for Readers
an easy way to keep track of the books you want to read!
Ah, the quiet joy of being immersed in a good book: I take great pleasure in wondering what the characters will do next as I go through my day, knowing they’re waiting for me when I climb into bed. For example, this week, my thoughts are consumed with questions about Julia, the protagonist in Same As It Ever Was: Why did her mother treat her so unkindly? Why is she so self-destructive? Will her marriage survive?
But as I near the end of an engrossing novel a sense of dread will creep in if I don't have another great book on deck to read next.
It’s not that I lack recommendations: I subscribe to numerous newsletters, magazines, and newspapers that give me excellent book ideas, I have friends with great taste, and I regularly browse bookstore shelves, too.
The problem is how to keep track of everything I want to read! I’ve tried keeping a handwritten list beside my bed, a list in the Notes app on my phone, an Excel spreadsheet, and more.
But for some reason, nothing has worked…until now.
My new method for keeping track of the books I want to read is super easy—and it might work for you, too!
There are just two simple steps:
1. Take a screenshot or photo of the book cover; and
2. Save it to an album on your phone titled Books to Read.
That’s it!
Because I mostly find my book recommendations online it’s easy to snap a screenshot of an intriguing title. And when I see a book in real life, I simply take a photo of the cover and save it to my album. Something about the visual nature of this new method makes it more effective: my “Books to Read” album is like a tiny, satisfyingly tidy, colorful online bookshelf.
Now, when I near the end of an excellent book, I no longer get anxious about what I’ll read next, safe in the knowledge that my “Books to Read” list is up-to-date and easy to find!
I’d love to know: how do you keep track of the books you want to read next – and what are you reading right now? Is anyone else reading Same As It Ever Was? I have so many thoughts about this book!
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That’s it for me! Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next Friday! xo Amelia
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I use Goodreads and I think it works well for me because it's linked up to my Kindle, so once I finish my library book, it'll pop up with the option to rate the book in Goodreads, which automatically moves it from "Currently Reading" to "Read." However, your method is so simple and I love the visual element of it! I have had Margo on my list for a bit now and everyone really seems to rave about it!
I’m really glad you wrote about this, because it’s at once dead-simple, totally intuitive…and also something I’d never thought to do before! 😅
I’ve halfheartedly used the Goodreads app, but it’s *just* complicated enough that I don’t stick to it consistently. Adopting your trick now!